There is a slew of information out there on the web about kids nutrition and health…not to mention all the amazing recipes and cooking ideas! It can be overwhelming to sift through all this and wonder what is REALLY most helpful for you to know.

So, here on my Weekly Kids Nutrition post, I sift through all the info for you and share the most important highlights. Consider this your week-in-review when it comes to recent kids’ health and nutrition info!
Grab a coffee refreshing drink, kick your feet up, and enjoy these weekly nuggets! Then, be sure to let me hear your feedback on this in the comments at the end.

In The News On School Food

Junk-Food Fundraisers Undercut Nutrition Movement In Schools

Are the junk-food fundraisers on their way out? They certainly should be. I understand the need for schools to raise extra funds from special programs and equipment, but schools would do well to be more consistent in their message to the kids.

“It’s a mixed message that we’re sending our kids. We tell them it’s important to feed their body healthy foods, then we ask them to go out and sell junk food.” ~ Mother of 3 in Idaho

Esther’s article here brings up some very good points in this debate. She also gives a great response that all parents can take to the next unhealthy fundraiser: “When the sale deadline comes around, send a modest check with a note that says: ‘Please let me know how I can help support healthier fundraisers.'”

Most Popular School Snacks Among Kids & Where They Come From

A recent article in the Boston Globe highlighted the Top 5 popular school snacks among kids. You might be surprised at only a few of these popular choices, but most of them should sound familiar.
That’s because a recent survey by The NPD Group found that 90% of snacks consumed at school are brought from home. This should be very encouraging! And this also continues to support my conviction that health habits at home are the single-greatest influence in a child’s long-term health habits.

So which of these top 5 snacks could be removed from the home altogether? Potato chips, meal kits, gum (if you can call that a snack), and candy. Replace those with more nutrient-dense foods, like fresh fruit or brain-empowering proteins, and you’ll be doing fabulous!

Students Taught It’s OK To Throw Away Food

Miami-Dade County public schools in Florida are being driven by money and not by principle when it comes to school food. And students are being forced to go against their moral bearings to take food from the lunch line that they have no intention of eating. Where does the food end up? In the trash.

Apparently, this is a common trend among schools who are receiving government subsidy money to be a part of the National School Lunch program. In order to get the cash subsidies, the schools have to provide lunches that meet the federal requirements AND provide free or reduced-price lunches to eligible students. However–and here’s why the program is failing–“These subsidies are received irrespective of whether or not the student actually consumes the food” (Article by Thais Alvarez).

This is appalling. The National School Lunch program cost taxpayers $11.1 billion in FY 2011. And it’s not even meeting it’s objective of getting kids to eat healthier foods. Your tax dollars hard at work.

I highly recommend reading the whole article on the school lunch program, and then find out what practices are happening at your own school. Get involved at the local level, and find out how you can help change things.

School Food Around The Web

School Lunch and After School Snacks (G+ Event)

This 30 minute ‘Coffee Break’ hosted by Meagan Sheakoski on GooglePlus focused solely on school lunches and after-school snack ideas. It was attended by 28 other moms and school foodies and is well worth the watch.

30 Days of School Lunch Recipes

Alas! More ideas for your child’s school lunches. And the beauty of these, is they are all nut-free ideas, and there’s no repeats. Most kids will thank you for the variety in their lunches, and you’re bound to find several ideas here that your kids will ask for again.

Fun Afterschool Snack: Homemade Almond Biscotti

A new recipe on our site this week that will please both moms with a cup of java and kids who love to dip cookies: Homemade Almond Biscotti.

Homemade Almond Biscotti, in all it’s decadence.

Don’t Miss Next Week’s Kids Nutrition Highlights!

I share all the best posts and tips throughout the week on my Google+ Profile and our Facebook page. You can follow us on these OR you can receive these highlights directly to your inbox by subscribing here (and you get the added bonus of my FREE ebook!)